AI must serve development, not dominate, PM Anwar tells BRICS summit


RIO DE JANEIRO: Malaysia is championing the establishment of an Asean AI Safety Network, a regional initiative to strengthen governance and capacity in this domain, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister, who is also Asean chair, said Malaysia welcomed the BRICS’ efforts in AI Governance, adding:

"We support a vision of artificial intelligence that serves development, not domination – one that embeds ethics, reduces inequality, and respects human dignity."

Anwar was speaking at the BRICS Leaders’ Summit at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) here on Sunday (July 6).

Also in attendance were Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz and Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

Earlier, the Prime Minister was received by Brazilian President Lula Silva upon arrival.

Anwar said the meeting was held as the international order was under severe strain.

The institutions meant to uphold cooperation were, he said, "faltering under the weight of new realities."

"Trade is increasingly shaped by politics. Technology is framed by security. And the rules that once governed global engagement are being selectively applied or ignored," he said.

Malaysia’s position is straightforward - multilateralism is vital for global stability, shared prosperity, and sovereign dignity, he said.

The Prime Minister said that for multilateralism to endure, it must do more than express common values.

"It must deliver tangible outcomes. It must respond to the realities of a world where markets are fragmenting faster than rules can adapt."

He said Asean was not passive and that economic fragmentation was intensifying - tariffs, decoupling, and shifting alliances were reshaping trade flows once thought stable.

Malaysia, Anwar said, was advancing a strategy that favoured diversification over dependency, resilience over fragility, and regional agency over external prescription.

"We therefore welcome BRICS’ commitment to an inclusive, rules-based trading system. Malaysia’s 2025 Asean Chairmanship theme – "Inclusivity and Sustainability" – aligns closely with those priorities."

Anwar said the party which shaped the digital future was the question now.

Technology, he noted, is now splitting along geopolitical lines.

"Export controls, national security restrictions and diverging standards are creating parallel systems."

Anwar also spoke about the need to stop genocide in Gaza and atrocities in Iran.

 

 

 

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